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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807435">Rattle Your Chains If You Love Being Free (Be Unbroken Or Be Brave Again)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildflowerWoods/pseuds/WildflowerWoods'>WildflowerWoods</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kunoichi Kick Ass [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), Dai-nana-han | Team 7 Have a Different Sensei (Naruto), Mokuton User Haruno Sakura, Multi, No Uchiha Massacre, Nohara Rin Lives, Sensei!Rin, Tags will be added as we go, Uchiha Izuna Lives, characters will be tagged as they're introduced</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 22:01:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22807435</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildflowerWoods/pseuds/WildflowerWoods</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some stories span centuries, some mere moments. Some heroes are remembered for aeons and some are forgotten the day after. Some stories are about a single person and some cross generations. One thing that remains constant though, is that all stories hold grains of truth.</p><hr/><p>A single person can send everything spiralling. A single person can change so much that a mere month down the line the world is unrecognisable. Konoha was brought about by a group of such people.</p><hr/><p>The world had tried to break Nohara Rin. It had thrown more at her in five years than most people delt with in a lifetime. But she survived.<br/>She's been named a Jonin-sensei. And she's going to do all she can to make sure the next generation survive. Even if she has to drag them there kicking and screaming. There would NOT be a repeat of Team Minato. She refused.</p><hr/><p>Secrets are uncovered and everyone is reminded that even the strongest can fall, the best can die, that shinobi can be brought down by a civilian if they get lucky. The world had been too busy squabbling to notice the danger looming closer. Unfortunately, it's now too late to do anything about it.<br/>Only one thing is clear,<br/>Things <em>have</em> to change.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dai-hachi-han | Team 8 &amp; Yuuhi Kurenai, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 &amp; Nohara Rin, Gaara &amp; Kankurou &amp; Temari, Hatake Kakashi &amp; Nohara Rin &amp; Uchiha Obito, Hyuuga Hinata &amp; Hyuuga Neji, Nohara Rin &amp; Sarutobi Asuma &amp; Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma &amp; Dai-jippan | Team 10, Senju Hashirama &amp; Senju Tobirama &amp; Senju Touka, Senju Hashirama &amp; Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna &amp; Uchiha Madara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Kunoichi Kick Ass [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/936195</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. This Will Be The Day We've Waited For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, here we go with the rewrite! There won't be much of a change with Rin's side of the story at first, but Katana's is going in a completely different direction.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nohara Rin was lost.</p><p>Not physically, physically she was sat in training ground seven staring at the memorial stone with the mask she'd started wearing in honour of her fallen team-mate down around her neck rather than covering her face.</p><p>No Nohara Rin was not lost physically but mentally was another story entirely. There are those who would argue that Rin had been gradually getting lost in her own memories, getting trapped in a spiral of regret and guilt that was slowly dragging her down, since her parents had been killed in the third shinobi war. The loss of Obito had only sent her spiralling deeper, only made her nightmares more vivid. Following that, the fact that the Kiri-nin had been able to get anywhere near Kakashi was a tidal wave of guilt. Never mind the fact that they'd taken him and forced him to carry the Ichibi. Rin was well aware of the fact that the only thing stopping the Kiri-nin from going after her instead of Kakashi was Obito's last gift to her, his Sharingan, given in return for a promise to protect the idiot that saw the mission as more important than his life. Rin had made a promise to protect Kakashi and she had failed. The seal was deliberately weak and he was a ticking time-bomb when she'd got him out and Rin would never be able to forget the sheer terror coursing through her as she realised that in Kakashi's mind the only way to keep the village safe was for him to die. That terror was enough to change something in the Sharingan—and Rin would be forever in the dark as to what happened—but that change allowed her to use Obito's eye to gain control over the Biju long enough for Minato-sensei to arrive and sort out Kakashi's seal. Rin had been close to breaking that day. She'd made it through and her bond with her remaining team-mate became stronger only for Rin's entire world to shatter two years later. Minato-sensei had become Hokage and married Kushina only for both of them to die on the night of their son's birth. That night had been hard for Rin but what sent her over the edge was when after three days of searching all they found of Kakashi was a broken tanto and a blood-splattered book—that familiar orange book he would use to make people think that he wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to what was going on around him—Rin saw the blade, saw the book, and ran out of the village with tears streaming down her face. If Naruto hadn't needed someone to look after him she'd have followed her loved ones that day. As it was Rin looked after the small boy for about a year. At that point, the council decided that the village system could look after him and had forbidden Rin from having any contact with him before sending her off on the first long-term mission they'd found.</p><p>Lifting her hand to her face Rin felt the real tears from her one good eye that had started falling as she was lost in the past. The tears from the other were soaking the back of her Hitai-ate. She'd hated the council for making her stay away from her godson but according to them, she'd only have served as a reminder of what he had lost. Rin had no idea where Tusande and Jiraiya had run to, but she knew that they weren't aware of Naruto. Otherwise, they'd have both been back in the village, tearing it apart looking for him. Thanks to the losses she had faced though, Rin hadn't had the heart to fight for him. She was lost in the depths of her own mind, drowning in self-loathing, regret, guilt and sorrow, falling deeper and deeper every day with no way or the will to pull herself back out. Nohara Rin was lost, and it didn't look like there was anything or anyone left to save her.</p><p> </p><p>“There you are” A voice shook her out of her spiral of downward thoughts and Rin turned to see two of the few people she cared about that was still alive. “It's graduation day Rin. We have to be down there for team assignments.” The woman speaking had unruly black hair and bright red eyes. She wore a white wrap dress with a single red sleeve and mesh shirt underneath. The man stood beside her was dressed in they typical Jonin uniform with a sash with the kanji for fire on it around his waist.</p><p>“I know” Rin wiped the tears from her face as she climbed to her feet. “Though both of the boys would have been late”</p><p>“Please don't start doing that. Your boys were bad enough” Kurenai smiled slightly as Rin pulled her mask up to cover the purple rectangles on her cheeks.</p><p>“My boys were special cases." She started as they headed down towards the forest that hid their village "Kakashi had enough power stockpiled that nobody could really argue without it ending badly for them and Obito was a lovable idiot that nobody except Kakashi could stay mad at” She smiled slightly as they crossed from sunlight into seal lit lantern light. “not that it did either of them any favours in the end.” her hand fell to the tanto she'd had repaired and the pair of orange goggles that hung at her waist. Shaking her head to clear it of the memories crowding round, she tugged on the bottom of her Jonin vest to check that it was straight and moved forwards, hoping that Asuma and Kurenai wouldn't notice the slight falter in her steps. She wasn't that lucky.</p><p>“Nobody's going to force you to do this Rin. In fact, loads of people were surprised you volunteered to be a Jonin sensei in the first place.” Asuma told her gently, his hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“I owe it to Minato-sensei and Kushina. I should have been there for Naruto growing up and I wasn't. Besides, can you think of anyone else who could handle the team they're throwing at me?” Rin questioned. Kurenai laughed as she shook her head</p><p>“No. I don't think I can. Nobody alive at any rate. Your boys probably could have done it”</p><p>“No. Kakashi would have either driven them mad with his bad habits or he'd have been a slave driver and they'd have ended up quitting because they couldn't take his methods.”</p><p>“And Obito?”</p><p>“Obito wouldn't have known what to do with a Genin team.” Rin scoffed. “You saw him on the field. Who in their right mind would put him in charge of a load of little kids?” That comment got both of her companions laughing.</p><p>“You have a point there Rin” Kurenai admitted, pushing her dark hair out of her face.</p><p>“Wondering when you three would show up” Rin blinked as she registered the Chunin stood in front of the academy door. She'd been so caught up in the conversation she hadn't noticed they'd arrived. The tree that housed the academy towered above them, lights flickering from inside its hollow trunk. “They're inside. Please don't traumatise them on day one.”</p><p>“What's wrong? Upset they're moving on?” Rin teased</p><p>“No. If you traumatise them they'll all come running back to me and I only just got rid of them” Iruka retorted and the trio of Jonin started laughing once more.</p><p>“Aw, can the poor Chunin not deal with the wild Genin?” Rin smirked as she continued poking fun at the academy teacher.</p><p>“You say that but I'm not the one that has to take them all the way up to Chunin. Anyone of them on their own can be a challenge, all nine of them at once? You must be mad”</p><p>“If I can survive being on a team with Bakashi and Dobito who were starting fights every five minutes I can deal with a few Genin”</p><p>“You haven't met Naruto and Sasuke.”</p><p>“And neither of them will have anywhere near as much skill as 'Kashi did and I'm stronger than he was at that age.” With that, she brushed past him and opened the door. A chalk eraser fell down only to get pinned to the wall by a kunai right by the head of a pink haired girl. The girl was wearing a red short-sleeved dress with slits up the side to her waist and black shorts underneath. The dress had white circles on it and a zip going partway down her chest before it veered to the side. She wore her hitai-ate like a headband, only it completely failed to hold her hair back.</p><p>“What did I say about traumatising them Rin?” Iruka sighed as he followed the three Jonin into the room.</p><p>“If they're traumatised they might not do something stupid” Rin retorted as she looked over the nine Genin.</p><p> </p><p>The first—well, second—person she noticed was Naruto. The bright blue eyes and blonde hair that was a spitting image of his father, dressed in an orange jumpsuit that was impossible to miss.</p><p>The boy stood next to him was dressed in a mesh shirt with long black shorts and a short grey jacket with the Nara symbol on the sleeves and his hitai-ate tired around his upper arm. Nara Shikamaru presumably.</p><p>Next to the Nara was another boy, this one more stocky with a swirl shaped marking on each cheek. He wore a green short-sleeved haori and a long white scarf over a light green shirt with the kanji for food on it. He had black shorts and bandages around his shins and forearms. His hitai-ate appeared to be more of a hat with holes in than a headband with two tufts of hair sticking out on either side of his head. If the food symbol was anything to go by that meant the boy was Achimiki Choji.</p><p>Sat on the desk was a boy in a grey fur-lined coat with the hood up, brown trousers that reached his calves and a puppy on his head. If the puppy wasn't enough of a giveaway at the fact that he was an Inuzunka the boy also had red fang like marks on his cheeks. As there was only supposed to be one Inuzunka in the group that would make him Kiba. At first, Rin had thought that he was lacking a hitai-ate but a movement of the puppy pulled the hood back slightly revealing the protector that had been hidden by the hood.</p><p>The boy stood next to the Inuzunka was clearly and Aburame, if the high-collared light grey jacket and sunglasses were anything to go by. Rin briefly registered dark trousers and a hitai-ate around his forehead before she turned her gaze from the boy known as Shino to the girl sat behind the desk.</p><p>The girls pale lilac eyes the girl was clearly a Hyugya and the only one on the graduation list Rin had seen was called Hinata. The girl had her blue hair in a bob cut with longer stands around her face than at the back and she was dressed in a cream coloured hooded jacket with her clan symbol on the sleeves as well as navy blue trousers. Her hitai-ate hung around her neck in a ladylike style.</p><p>As she continued to look round the room, her eyes were drawn back to the pink haired girl and the blonde stood next to her. Pinkie had to be Sakura – the only civilian raised one in the group – and from the looks of things, the blonde was the Yamanaka heir Ino.</p><p>Ino's long platinum blonde hair was held back in a ponytail with a fringe falling over the right side of her face. She wore a purple high-collared blouse and apron-like skirt with bandages wrapped around her middle and thighs. She wore her hitai-ate around her waist like a belt and had white arm warmers.</p><p>Ino and Sakura were arguing in front of the ninth member of the group of Genin—the second son of the Uchiha clan head and Clan Heir after Itachi's betrayal—Sasuke.</p><p>Sasuke was dressed in the typical high-collared Uchiha shirt with presumably had the Uchiha fan – an uchiwa – on the back of it. The boy wore white shorts and matching white armbands with hit hitai-ate holding his fringe out of his face.</p><p> </p><p>“I don't think it works like that Rin” Asuma commented, sounding faintly amused as he followed Rin into the room, also looking the nine Genin over.</p><p>“YOU'RE LATE!” Sakura, Naruto and Ino all yelled. Rin rolled her eyes.</p><p>“That is all your fault Rin” Kurenai commented as she gave the Genin a once-over.</p><p>“And how is it my fault?” Rin questioned, a smirk playing over her face – not that anyone could see it – at the irritation the Genin were showing at the fact that the three Jonin were ignoring them.</p><p>“Well, if we hadn't had to go find you we'd have been here on time” Asuma replied, also starting to smile</p><p>“Kakashi and Obito would have both been disappointed in me had I turned up on time.” was Rin's reply as she ducked a flying chalk duster. “It's not polite to throw things at your sensei Naruto” She called over her shoulder.</p><p>“How did you know it was me?” The blonde boy exclaimed.</p><p>“You're the only one stood over there who would do that. Shikamaru-Kun's too lazy and Choji-Kun hasn't stopped eating as I can hear his crisp packet rustling.” Rin replied without turning around.</p><p>“Rin, stop toying with them.” Kurenai scolded as she sat on the teacher's desk. Asuma sat beside her whilst Rin stayed stood up. “Seeing as if tomorrow goes well the nine of you will end up working together quite a bit, let's do the introductions as one big group.” Kurenai looked around the room. “Let's start with Naruto and go round until we reach Sasuke.” Kurenai pointed to Naruto and the blonde smiled</p><p>“I'm Uzumaki Naruto! What I like is ramen, especially the kind at the Ichiraku Ramen shop. What I dislike is the three-minute wait after you pour in the boiling water. My hobbies are eating ramen. And my dream... is to be the next Hokage!”</p><p>“Shikamaru”</p><p>Rin sighed as she tuned out the rest of the introductions. Despite the fact that her team only consisted of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, all nine of them would need a lot of training before they'd get anywhere. Ino and Sakura would need to be pulled out of their fangirl stage, Hinata would have to get over her shyness, Kiba and Naruto would have to calm down, Shikamaru would need motivation and Sasuke would need to be able to work with the others more.</p><p>“Rin” Kurenai pulled the younger woman out of her thoughts with a jab to the ribs. Rin rolled her eye slightly in response.</p><p>“My name is Nohara Rin. My likes and dislikes are none of your business. I have many hobbies and my dream is....” She trailed off. “My dream is pointless as it can never happen.”</p><p>“Why's it pointless?” Sakura asked timidly. Rin stared at her blankly.</p><p>“Nearly all of those in it are dead.” She stated “If you're not careful your precious people will end up the same way because you were too busy fangirling over someone who doesn't want the attention to actually notice in time to help them. Either that or your clear lack of skills will mean you can't help them when they need it most. In the worse case scenario, you could end up as bait to lure them to their deaths.” She spoke without emotion, noting the looks on the Genin's faces as she spoke. Rin could practically see the gears in Shikamaru's brain working as he puzzled over her statement. If any of the Genin would connect her to the Kunoichi on team Minato it was him.</p><p>“Rin. What did I say about traumatising them?” Kurenai scolded lightly, completely ignoring the Genin again.</p><p>“Relax. It's not like they're not going to have to deal with that sort of thing in the future.” Kurenai sighed, Rin did have a point.</p><p>“Whatever."</p><p>"Alright, Team Seven, meet at training ground seven, Team Eight a training ground Eight and Team Ten at training ground nine. Be there by seven and don't eat breakfast unless you want to throw up."</p><p>"What she said."</p><p>"Who will be teaching which team?" Sakura asked.</p><p>"You'll find out tomorrow."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. They See You As Just A Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun dawned, bright and clear, painting the sky in shades of orange and red as it rose. There wasn't a cloud to be seen or a breeze to be felt. All in all it was a perfect day. Katana hated it.</p><p>She wanted it to be raining. For the sky to be cloudy and the wind to be harsh. She wanted a storm with the rumbling thunder and flashes of lightning. It wasn't fair that the day would be so nice when she felt so horrible. Her world had collapsed around her, her little brother was <em>dead</em>. She wanted to scream and cry and yell and shout. To curse the world for <em>everything</em> it put her through.</p><p>But she didn't.</p><p>The clan has trained her too well, she didn't cry, didn't think she <em>could</em> cry, no matter how much she wanted to.</p><p>The flowers bloomed as leaves unfurled, greeting the sun and spreading colour across the Senju lands. The forest awoke as butterflies and bees started visiting the flowers, rabbits hopping in the undergrowth as deer grazed peacefully in meadows. Katana ignored it. She wanted to run. To run and run and run as far away from the clan as she could. To flee and never come back, taking the few she held close to her heart with her.</p><p>But she didn't.</p><p>Too numb with the shock of what has happened the day before. It was like her body has turned to lead and she couldn't find the will to move. Couldn't run despite how much she wanted to.</p><p>The clan assembled outside, in the perfect day with the world alive around them and more than ever Katana wanted to scream and cry and yell and shout, to curse the world, to turn and run and run and <b>run</b> and <em>never</em> look back, to forget the blood on her hands and the stains on her soul, to finally be free despite all she's lost.</p><p>But she didn't.</p><p>She <em>couldn't</em>.</p><p>Katana was her mothers daughter. A sense of loyalty to the few she cared about ingrained too deep in her to leave and she knew they would never agree to come with her. She was trapped, not physically but maybe physical chains would be better. Better than the faked loyalty to a group of people who couldn't care less whether she lived or died</p><p>“Katana? You in here?” Touka opened the door and walked in, sighing slightly when she spotted her only female cousin curled up on the window seat, staring listlessly at the scenery. “Oh, come here” She quickly crossed the room and pulled the younger girl into a hug. Katana turned around and buried her head in Touka's shoulder, gripping the older girls shirt so tightly that the fabric tore slightly. “Hey, it's okay. He wouldn't want you to be upset. He's in a much better place now” The two sat there for a while, Touka offering what small comfort she could to the grieving girl.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The days passed and Touka quickly found herself watching her cousins again. Hashirama was moving past his grief quickly, Tobirama was as calm and stoic as usual and Katana still hadn't said a word since the incident. In all honesty, all three of them worried her.</p><p>Hashirama getting over a death so quickly was unusual for him, maybe he'd made a friend outside the compound. That would explain him vanishing for hours on end.</p><p>Tobirama had always been one to retreat into himself when confronted with something he didn't like, didn’t understand, but there was a distance growing between him and Hashirama as the elder boy wandered off leaving his remaining siblings to cope on their own.</p><p>Katana was the most worrying. The girl had never been one to talk a lot but she at least spoke to Tobirama once in a while but it had been nearly a month since Itama had been killed and she still hadn't said a word. It was like whatever had been keeping the girl going since their mother passed died with Itama.</p><p>The sound of shouting outside drew her attention and Touka looked out of her window to see one of the elders yelling at Katana. The girl just stood there, hands hanging limp at her side and her head down. Silent as the grave. The elders hand shot out and Katana stumbled back, a red mark on her face but she still did nothing, said nothing. No gritted teeth or clenched fists or defiant stares, just a bowed head. Touka had never seen her cousin so defeated. She had never been vocal about what the elders did but she had always showed her anger at them in some way but now... she was listless and broken. Her youngest cousin had shattered and without her brothers there was nobody aside from Touka herself who cared enough to pick up the pieces and help the girl rebuild herself.</p><p>With a snarl Touka threw the door open and stormed outside.</p><p>“Leave her alone!” All heads turned to face her. “What the fuck has she ever actually done to you?” she demanded. Katana looked at her and Touka saw surprise and something akin to hope enter her eyes. It made Touka’s gut twist. Her cousin shouldn’t be surprised at someone standing up for her. It wasn’t right.</p><p>“Touka." One of them stated. She couldn't be bothered trying to figure out who. "This has nothing to do with you.”</p><p>“Well, I’m making it have something to do with me. Leave Katana alone.”</p><p>"Touka." She smiled at her cousin.</p><p>"Heya Kats. Sorry it took me so long to get my head out my ass and notice."</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>"Anija has a friend" was what Katana said when they’d finally got rid of the elders. "Chichiue-Sama wants Tobira to follow him and find out who his friend is."</p><p>"And what do you have to say about any of this?" Touka asked as they walked back to the house.</p><p>"It won't end well. Anija's friend... his friend is an Uchiha." Touka froze, her foot in midair. Katana kept walking. "Or, I think he is at least. I've never really run into an Uchiha before."</p><p>"Katana, how do you know that?" She demanded, Katana turned to face her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>"I followed him." Touka could hear the unspoke <em>duh</em>. "Anija's sensory skills are <em>shit</em>."</p><p>"You're too young to be cursing." She scolded absently as they started moving again.</p><p>"But Itama wasn't too young to fight for his life?" Touka raised an eyebrow at Katana's muttered words. The younger girl winced, looking sheepish "Sorry. That wasn't your choice."</p><p>"I miss him too, I miss both of them." Touka confessed, swapping her outdoor shoes for indoor ones.</p><p>"I can't help but feel like I could have done something, if I'd just <em>been</em> there."</p><p>"Katana, you're a medic." She knew Katana was annoyed at being kept off the battlefields, but Touka couldn't help but be thankful. It meant she'd at least have one cousin to come home to at the end of the day.</p><p>"Yes. I'm a <em>medic</em>. I can <em>heal</em>. But they won't let me <em>do</em> anything. Kaa-Chan, Kawarama, Itama- I could have done something. I could have saved them."</p><p>"Katana, no matter how good you are at healing, it wouldn't have done anything unless you could get to them. You don't fight."</p><p>"Difference between 'can't' and 'won't' Touka-Chan." Oh, Touka hated that nickname and the sung grin that came with it. Katana only ever pulled that out when she knew she'd won, or was close to winning, whatever argument they were having.</p><p>"There's a difference between training in the compound and an actual battle Katana-Chan." Two could play at that game.</p><p>"I know, but next time it may well be Anija, or you, or Tobira. I can't just stand back and do nothing. Not anymore." Touka groaned. All of her cousins were pains.</p><p>"Fine. I'll help you train. Any idea what you want to specialise in?" Katana paused for a moment, her face scrunched up in thought.</p><p>"Speed." Made sense, Katana was small, spindly and wiry, all knees and elbows rather than any sort of muscle. Brute force would never work for her, but speed... if she could get her speed up, her cousin could be in and out before people knew what hit them.</p><p>"I meant what sort of jutsu do you want to specialise in, but we can work on speed for now." Katana smiled, something akin to hope shining in them, and Touka remembered just how much power Hashirama and Tobirama had. Well, at least she wouldn't end up on the receiving end of Katana's wrath.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Things changed again, after the river confrontation, the air between Hashirama and Tobirama turning cold, words hanging in the air unsaid.</p><p>It wasn’t hard to figure out that Hashirama blamed Tobirama. It also wasn’t hard to figure out that Tobirama had realised Katana knew but had said nothing. It especially wasn’t hard to figure out that Katana was angry that Hashirama blamed Tobirama for the river confrontation, never mind that if Tobirama <em>hadn’t</em> reported it, Hashirama would have been on his own against three Uchiha.</p><p>So Hashirama didn’t want to talk to Tobirama, Tobirama didn’t want to talk to Katana and Katana didn’t want to talk to Hashirama. And that was putting it mildly.</p><p>Touka suspected that, if they’d been allowed to properly argue over it rather than playing clan heir and clan spares, the shouting match would have been legendary.</p><p>As it was, she was stuck with Hashirama whining about ruined chances at peace, Tobirama burying himself in his experiments while glaring at everyone and Katana one wrong move away from screaming at them both, regardless of the consequences.</p><p>Sometimes Touka hated her cousins.</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>When Butsuma died, things became even worse. She hadn’t even thought that was possible. <em>Years</em> of anger and resentment and unspoken words hung over all three of them—mostly between Hashirama and the twins, Tobirama and Katana had actually sat down and talked things out, both of them too logical to let things fester like that—that Hashirama mostly cheerfully ignored, brushing both Tobirama and Katana's concerns off, knowing full well neither of them would go against him in public.</p><p>In private was another matter, Touka had bourn witness to many, many arguments between the three, mostly about Hashirama’s dreams for peace while doing nothing to actually work towards that goal.</p><p>Honestly, in hindsight, she should have seen the disaster coming.</p><p>Hashirama had given no orders for political hostages, Tobirama was too busy trying to make sure people came back alive to worry about potential peace treaties whilst in the middle of a battle and Katana had been hoarding her fury, frustration and even some resentment since her mother’s death with no healthy way to deal with it.</p><p>On the bright side, nobody was fighting anymore.</p>
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